Freshmen are the most likely group on campus to begin
smoking. In an attempt to fit in and make new friends, students
who have never smoked before may adopt the habit as a social
icebreaker. This can escalate quickly to addictive use (Hancock,
2003).

Results from surveys administered between 1993-1999 show
that current smoking prevalence is higher among freshman
than sophomores, juniors, or seniors (Halperin and Eytan).

Although freshmen are at highest risk, they are also the
easiest group to disseminate information to through orientation
programs, new student information, and curriculum infusion.

Some women use smoking to control their weight. Not only
do college-aged women smoke as a way to control their weight,
but they are also more reluctant to quit because of fear
of weight gain (Zucker, 2001).

Research indicates that females may be more vulnerable
to tobacco-related lung damage than males (Langhammer, 2003).

Women have been targeted by tobacco industry marketing.
Promoting thinness and a slim image is one of the tobacco
industry’s main tactics to attract females to smoking
(ALA, 2002).

With increasing rates of women smokers, lung cancer has
now surpassed breast cancer as the leading type of cancer
among women in the United States (CDC, 2001).

The partying image associated with fraternities and sororities
puts members of “Greek” organizations at special
risk for tobacco use. Data from the College Alcohol Study revealed that belonging to a Greek organization was positively associated with smoking status (Emmons, 1998).

Since many Greek houses are located
off campus, campus smoking restrictions often do not apply.

In the late 1990s, Virginia Commonwealth University and
the University of Maryland found that about 60% of sorority
members smoked (Hancock, 2003).

The tobacco industry takes advantage of the fact that
Greek houses are not on campus, and often sponsors parties
in fraternities and sororities where tobacco products, coupons,
and paraphernalia are distributed (Halperin and Eytan).
In 1999 alone the tobacco industry spent $335.7 million
on promotional items such as t-shirts, sunglasses, and caps
as well as another $33.7 million on free cigarette samples
(FTC, 1999).

A national survey found alarming rate of smokeless (spit
or chew) tobacco use among male college athletes. In all,
40.0% of college baseball players and 29.0% of college football
players had used spit tobacco in the last year. In comparison,
the national smokeless tobacco use rate for all college
men is 17.0% (HEC, 2002).

Varsity athletes are at particular risk. A study of male
baseball players at two major Southwestern universities
found that 94.0% of male varsity baseball players, in comparison
with 67.0% intramural athletes, either regularly used or
had experimented with smokeless tobacco. Seventy-one percent
of varsity baseball athletes either experimented with or
used smokeless tobacco regularly, compared to 57.0% of intramural
athletes (Gingiss,1991).

College athletes often model their behaviors after particular
professional athletes, many of whom use chewing tobacco
(Gingiss, 1991).